The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 4, January 23, 2005, Article 14

EVEN 500-YEAR-OLD BOOKS STILL USEFUL

Jørgen Sømod writes: "Last week Dick Johnson wrote of
"100-year-old books are still in active use". Yes, at least -
for the normal collector. But for me as a researcher and
numismatic author more than 400 year old books are still
in use. Just now I have in my hand a reprint of a valuation
by Wolff Stürmer original printed in Leipzig 1572. It is
only one month ago, I had to use it, when I wrote an article
regarding some of the coins illustrated in the old book.
And these days I am finishing an article about - and a reprint
of - a warning against bad coins, originally printed in Frankfurt
a/M 1503. For Danish numismatics this warning is not a
curiosity, but an important proof in understanding some of
our coin history. That is a 502 year old printing."

Also in response to Dick's query about copyrighted works,
Morten Eske Mortensen writes: "It is rather more appropriate
to ask:

A) How much money have the original authors and their
heirs actually been paid in royalties?

B) Have the original authors even been paid a royalty
amount that gives the author full salary for the work done?

C) Any copyright laws ought to include a paragraph
"No title can lose the copyrighted status before the author
has been paid the equivalent in royalties of a full salary
for his work. "

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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